Topical Bible: Jerusalem: Disciples Persecuted and Dispersed From

◄ Jerusalem: Disciples Persecuted and Dispersed From ►

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Jerusalem, the city of profound religious significance, is central to the early Christian narrative, particularly in the context of the persecution and dispersion of Jesus' disciples. Following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His disciples remained in Jerusalem, where they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, marking the birth of the Church (Acts 2:1-4). However, this nascent Christian community soon faced severe persecution, which played a pivotal role in the spread of the Gospel beyond the confines of Jerusalem.

The persecution began in earnest with the martyrdom of Stephen, one of the first deacons of the Church. Stephen's bold proclamation of the Gospel and his vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God incited the anger of the Jewish authorities, leading to his stoning (Acts 7:54-60). This event marked a significant turning point, as it intensified the hostility towards the followers of Christ.

Acts 8:1 records, "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria." This scattering was not merely a retreat but a divinely orchestrated expansion of the Christian mission. The dispersion of believers led to the fulfillment of Jesus' command to be His witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The persecution was spearheaded by Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Pharisee who sought to eradicate the followers of "the Way" (Acts 9:1-2). His relentless pursuit of Christians forced many to flee Jerusalem, carrying the message of Christ with them. This dispersion resulted in the establishment of new Christian communities and the spread of the Gospel to regions previously unreached.

Despite the adversity, the apostles remained in Jerusalem, continuing to preach and teach. Acts 8:4 notes, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." This period of persecution paradoxically became a catalyst for growth, as the dispersed believers shared the Gospel with Jews and Gentiles alike, leading to the conversion of many.

The persecution in Jerusalem also set the stage for the conversion of Saul, who, on the road to Damascus, encountered the risen Christ and became the Apostle Paul, one of the most influential figures in the early Church (Acts 9:3-6). His transformation from persecutor to proponent of the faith exemplifies the power of the Gospel to change hearts and lives.

In summary, the persecution and dispersion of the disciples from Jerusalem were instrumental in the spread of Christianity. The trials faced by the early believers served to advance the mission of the Church, demonstrating the providential hand of God in using adversity to fulfill His purposes. The narrative of persecution and dispersion underscores the resilience and faithfulness of the early Christians, who, despite facing severe opposition, remained steadfast in their commitment to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Acts 8:1-4
And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
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Acts 11:19-21
Now they which were scattered abroad on the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but to the Jews only.
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Library

The Propagation of Christianity.
... to a place and finding there disciples; the clamour ... points: that the religion began
at Jerusalem; that it ... information of the persons first persecuted, a great ...
/.../paley/evidences of christianity/chapter ix the propagation of.htm

Before the Sanhedrin
... If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you ... and, behold, ye have filled
Jerusalem with your doctrine ... of God in the words spoken by the disciples. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 8 before the sanhedrin.htm

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... He gave His brethren, His disciples, authority over ... desolation; and Jesus said
concerning Jerusalem, There shall ... also and his brethren were persecuted as Jesus ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm

Salvation Published from the Mountains
... not satisfied with the injuries he had offered to His disciples at Jerusalem, but
still ... But Jesus, whom he had ignorantly persecuted, instructed him in the ...
/.../newton/messiah vol 1/sermon vi salvation published from.htm

Acts IX
... and in the synagogues, his old allies whom he had deserted, and the disciples whom
he had persecuted. ... (26) "And when he arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts ix.htm

A New Order of Priests and Levites
... ye cry to God for Sodom, and yet more hopefully ye cry to God for Jerusalem: your
prayer ... and mark ye not how he who persecuted the disciples in times past ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 17 1871/a new order of priests.htm

Jews.
... potentates, from the destruction of Jerusalem by the ... many centuries they have been
persecuted, plundered, and ... and unkindness of the professed disciples of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/hayward/the book of religions/jews.htm

Chapter iv.
... concluded, to publish his Gospel, and collect disciples to it ... Acts 20:16.) His reception
at Jerusalem was of ... pillars of the church have been persecuted even to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/paley/evidences of christianity/chapter iv.htm

The French Reformation.
... Yielding blindly to her false teachers, Paris, like Jerusalem of old, knew ... bring
peace, but war."(345) Like the first disciples, when persecuted in one ...
/.../the great controversy between christ and satan /12 the french reformation.htm

The French Reformation
... Yielding blindly to her false teachers, Paris, like Jerusalem of old, knew not ...
war.""Wylie, b.14, ch.3. Like the first disciples, when persecuted in one ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 12 the french reformation.htm